US asks Pakistan to ‘delegitimise all terrorist groups’ operating on soil

US asks Pakistan to ‘delegitimise all terrorist groups’ operating on soil

On the issue of Hafiz Saeed, Toner said, "He is listed by the UN Security Council 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee for targeted sanctions due to his affiliation with the terrorist group Lashkar-e Tayyiba.”

“We continue to urge Pakistan to take action to combat and delegitimise all terrorist groups operating on its soil,” State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference. (Reuters)

In yet another move to strike Pakistan for supporting terrorist groups on its soil, the US told the country that it ought to take action to combat and delegitimise all terrorist groups operations within its boundaries.

“We continue to urge Pakistan to take action to combat and delegitimise all terrorist groups operating on its soil,” State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference.

“Obviously Pakistan has suffered greatly at the hands of terrorists and violent extremists. We want to help Pakistan confront this terrorist threat, but we also want Pakistan also to go after those terrorists who seek and sometimes find safe haven on Pakistan territory,” he said in response to a question.

On the issue of Hafiz Saeed, Toner said, “He is listed by the UN Security Council 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee for targeted sanctions due to his affiliation with the terrorist group Lashkar-e Tayyiba.”

Asserting that both the LeT and Saeed are designated by the U.S. Government, Toner further said that the LeT is obviously responsible for the death of hundreds of innocent civilians in terrorist attacks, including a number of American citizens.

Earlier, Saeed had reportedly said that United States is the real enemy of Pakistan.

Prior to this, the United States Department of State on Thursday said that Pakistan ought to stop giving access to terrorists and terrorists groups. John Kirby, spokesperson for the aforementioned department issued this warning to Pakistan a day after the White House backed India’s right to defend itself as with any other country, in view of the recent surgical strikes.